


Another Chance At Life

by SinclairMaxwell



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Dark!Harry, M/M, Slash, m-preg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-11
Updated: 2012-06-11
Packaged: 2017-11-07 11:40:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/430735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinclairMaxwell/pseuds/SinclairMaxwell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adopted fic! Harry joined Voldemort during his rebirth and became his most devoted follower. The Dark Lord isn't the only one trying to get in the Puppeteer's pants though. He also has a Malfoy and a potions master to contend with! Slash!Mpreg!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Puppeteer

Alright, I know I should be updating all of my other stories, I know, but I adopted this little thing from Makayami Ookami, who is just great, btw. I'm doing another mass update this weekend to celebrate the 4th of July

Prologue The Puppeteer

The man jerked at the sound of that wicked laughter, sweat rolling down his face and back. What had he gotten himself into? He was going to die. The darkness was oppressive around him. Mundungus's eyes rolled in their sockets frantically as he tried to see his pursuer in the dark. He'd gotten in way over his head this time. That deranged laughter would be the last thing he ever heard. Something fell down in the shadows of the warehouse with a soft thunk. It didn't sound like flesh but when the thing stood up, it had the unmistakable silhouette of a woman. He swallowed his fear thickly.

"M-Ma'am? Are you lost?" His voice quivered.

She gave him no answer but instead, turned around. What he saw as she walked towards him made the man cringe. It wasn't a woman at all. It was a life sized doll. It walked towards him jerkily and a long blade, a freaking machete, gleamed in her wooden hand. A soft whispering came from the marionette and Mundungus could only tell what it was when she got close enough that the lace of her bed gown brushed his pants leg.

'Kill them. Kill them all. All of them. All. Everyone. Kill them for Master. Kill them for the Puppeteer.'

He flinched back in fear and revulsion. What was that? A shadow leapt down from the rafters, shining webs of magic flowing from him to the doll. He was no more than a child it seemed, small and thin but his hair reached his waist in a black, gleaming wave and emerald eyes smiled out of the dark. He was wearing black. Black wife beater, black leather pants and black combat boots. A machete as long as the kid's arm was strapped to his back.

"Mundungus Fletcher, you are charged with high treason before the Dark Lord. You are sentenced to immediate death. Your sentence shall be carried out by my beauty here, Cassandra. Gorgeous isn't she?" He purred, wrapping an arm around the mannequin's waist, "I made her myself. You will be a doll too soon. Once I steal your soul. But don't worry, you might even like it. Cassie did."

His eyes widened. S-soul? What he'd heard was some girl's soul? What a terrible existence, to be stuck, forever conscious, in a body you had no control over. That someone else used for their every whim. With a moment too quick to see, the puppet slashed the machete over his throat while her master chanted softly. A bag was open at his side, a moaning coming from it's depths. Mundungus could feel his essence draining out of him and then, suddenly, he was watching his body fall to the ground in a pool of its own blood. He was being sucked into the bag, into the dark, and the only thing he could do was scream. The last thing he saw before joining the other souls in the darkness was the lightning bolt shaped scar on the child's forehead.


	2. A Sound In The Dark

Alright, here's the deal everyone. I am not going to be putting another author's note or disclaimer on this story after this chapter. I know that I've said that before but I'm really serious this time. No more. Not unless I have something that I want brought to your attention. So here we ago. Again, I don't own Harry Potter or it's affiliates and I'm not making any money. This was originally a story by Makurayami Ookami. Love all of you guys and I hope you love it! The pairings are SS/HP, DM/HP and, of course, LV/HP. Warnings are as follows: Mpreg( much much later though), BDSM, Slash( the most important!), gore, mentions of abuse, possible drug use and of course, promiscuous behavior.

Chapter One

Draco sighed heavily in relief, finding himself blissfully alone. That Parkinson was going to be the death of him. She just would not lay off! Maybe she would get the hint if she saw him making out with another guy. He was bi, don't get him wrong. He enjoyed the differences in both guys and girls, but she was a pain. The fifteen year old peeked around the corner, hidden from sight in his Lord's library. The children of the Inner Circle had taken to spending the breaks at the Dark Lord's manor in Derbyshire, a tactical move that had been put into play last year when the Boy-Who-Lived had betrayed the Light side, making the old bat step up his attacks. Draco found himself missing his home but they had fun at Inquist Estate. They learned from the best, including Harry Potter who taught them Combat Fitness while Lord Voldemort himself taught them Combat Tactics and Strategy along side him. The most laughable part of the whole situation was that Potter was actually believed to be kidnapped! Dumbledore thought that the teen had been kidnapped when the Dark Lord rose again, sending the message via Cedric Diggory's carved up corpse. A message that had been written in both boy's blood.

"Why hello, lovely." A low, sexy voice purred in his ear.

Speak of the bloody devil. Draco turned his frowning silver eyes to find Harry Potter leaning against the library wall, a parsletongue tome in hand. Potter was dressed in ceremonial robes of some sort but they were left opened, revealing skin tight leather beneath. Potter had revealed himself as quite the sex muffin when he was finally freed of his bonds under the Light. He loved to wear tight, revealing clothing that made others of both the Light and Dark recall their most distracting fantasies. In fact, their Lord was the boy's most avid admirer and had been trying to lure Potter into his bed for some time, not that it worked. Potter enjoyed making people beg and work for his attentions and of course the Dark Lord was much too proud for that. His black hair was grown down to his waist in sleek waves. Hanging from his belt was a small marionette. A puppet. Harry's chosen weapon.

"Potter, what have I told you? Stop calling me that!" He growled, trying to seem as if he had not been just running from a girl, of all things.

He could see it now, the great Draco Malfoy, commanding force of the 2nd generation Death Eaters, running from one potential( she wishes!) suitor. It would give the teen cause to mock him forever. Harry grinned, his smile mocking in itself.

"Of course, pretty. How could I forget?"

Draco ground his teeth in annoyance but couldn't help but notice how gorgeous Potter looked in those sexy clothes. There was a heavy smear of blood running down Voldemort's most devoted follower's robes and in the dark of the library, Draco could see the silhouette of two figures, one sitting up and the other unmoving and prone on the ground. Neither appeared to be breathing. The youngest Malfoy swallowed convulsively. Potter wasn't known for being the Dark Lord's most devoted for his handsome looks. He was a true killer, commanding a series of lifesized dolls to do his bidding. There were haunted rumors amongst the faithful that Harry Potter had a whole army of mannequins in the deepest parts of the dungeons, just waiting to be of service to their master in the final battle. No one had ever had the courage to see for themselves though. More frightening things than dolls roamed the Dark Lord's dungeons, like Inferi. He nearly shuddered in revulsion. Potter's dolls were nearly more fearsome though but for reasons other than outside appearances. Potter's dolls obeyed, not because of the magic running through them, but because of the souls locked away inside the wood. He trapped the souls of his victims into the very puppets he controlled. Harry noticed his gaze and his grin became a frightening thing to behold.

"Ah, you have stumbled across my work, I'm afraid. Would you like to see?" Draco shook his head, fear filling his eyes as Potter drew him close by the arm, "Oh, don't be alarmed, pretty. I won't steal your soul. I just want you to see a small portion of my life's work. It really is quite the thing to witness."

As they came closer, Draco could see a man's body laying face up on the ground and the life sized puppet of a man that held a disturbing resemblance to the corpse. All was silent except for their breathing. Runes were covering the doll's skin in what Draco knew to be the man's blood. The body had tubes coming from the chest, legs and arms pumping his blood into a bucket at his side. Draco winced. He did not die a painless death. At least he was one of the enemy. Potter was known to torment and play with his victims before finally killing him. He enjoyed the chase.

"As you can see, I am using his blood as a binding agent to tie his soul inside the puppet. Based on what we have gone over in class, why is this, Draco?"

He covered his discomfort with a sneer.

"Because blood is the oldest, most primitive ingredient for use in any sort of magic. It carries a person's magic, life and sometimes, even their soul. Every major religion in the world uses blood in some way. Steal a person's blood and you steal their life. Everyone knows this." He responded, glad that he at least sounded calm.

Harry nodded, pleased.

"I however, seal my spells with parsletongue so only myself and Lord Voldemort may undo them. Doll, arise. Come to your Master's Call." He hissed at last.

As expected, the doll stood from it's sitting position, straightening itself out and stepped forward at the sound of Potter's voice.

" Excellent." He hissed something else in that exotic, and admittedly, sexy as hell, language and the doll walked away, leaving the room at a steady, jerking pace.

Harry smiled at him brightly and Draco found that more disturbing than anything else and yet…pleasing. That Potter was looking at him that way made a feeling of intense pleasure radiate through his body.

"Shall we join the others? We can take the back halls and avoid Parkinson."

Damn.


	3. As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence.

Disclaimer: Nope!

Chapter Two~~~

Draco followed Harry down the corridors adopting the other teen's easy, unhurried pace. Everyone would be waiting on them to eat but Harry didn't bother hurrying. He knew that they would not start without him. Meanwhile, Draco was rather enjoying the view from the back. Harry had certainly changed in his time away from Hogwarts. He was a sensual, seductive young man. He was gorgeous and knew how to use it. He had attracted the eye of nearly every person in the Inner Circle. Including, Draco grudgingly admitted, not only his father, but his godfather as well. Poor Severus never had a chance, he thought shaking his head.

"What are you thinking, pretty?" Came the voice from in front of him as Harry tossed him a sly grin.

He knew that he had been staring at his arse. Damn. Draco fought the sigh that threatened to emerge from his throat.

"You are just…" He seemed to struggle with the right words so as not to insult the teen, "You seem to have captivated everyone. Including our Lord."

Harry chuckled, turning to face him so he was sashaying backwards down the hallway, seemingly with eyes in the back of his head. He had heard that about Potter. That one reason he was so effective on the battlefield was because he had a constant 360 degree awareness around him. He literally DID have eyes in the back of his head. Draco had heard their Lord say that it was because Harry had bound five of his most agreeable victims to himself. It was a sort of backwards Horcrux. The five had been the worst serial killers and homicidal maniacs to come through the Wizarding World, but they were all brilliant strategists and geniuses in their own twisted right. That was why he had chosen their souls to steal. Draco wondered just how deep the connection went because every so often, he would see Harry snigger or smile at something when no one was watching as if he could hear them speaking.

"Including you, little Draco?"

Draco reeled, stopping in the center of the hallway. Harry's smile grew teasing.

"Ohhh, Draco. You like me." He crooned as Draco's neck grew warm.

The blond glared. He would not become some infatuated twit. It was utterly preposterous! Ridiculous!

"Shut it, Potter!" He growled, unable to turn in his anger and embarrassment.

"You think I'm sexy, Draco. Wow. Draco Malfoy, of all people. I never did expect it from you. You're so uptight and all. But Draco Malfoy want to take me against a wall."

He knew that Potter was just teasing him. He knew that it was working. He also knew that the bastard was trying to get a rise out of him. He was just so used to turning his embarrassment or discomfort into anger that it came as naturally as breathing now.

"Well, at least I don't spread my legs for anyone that comes by! At least I have standards! I don't have to be lascivious just to get people's attention!" He yelled but as soon as the words came out, he wished he could take them all back and clapped his hands over his mouth.

Oh. Bugger. He had really fucked it up this time. Not only was this his Lord's favorite he had so disrespected, it was the Puppet Master. He was going to die. Not only that but he had such…awful things. Harry's good mood had been swallowed by his emotionless mask that he wore on the battlefield. He had withdrawn into himself and Draco though that he could hear tiny, almost unnoticeable whispers in the air. Potter looked at him for only half a second longer before swooping out of sight down the corridor. Did he dare follow? Did he dare face that tangible, infamous coldness. He took the path to the dining room as one condemned. A man sentenced to the rest of his life. He got to the Dining Room just in time to see Harry stop in front of Voldemort who looked rather tense at the boy's sudden mood.

~o~

Harry walked into the room, barely containing his fury. How dare he! Draco had pretty much outright called him a whore to his face! Everyone's heads shot up so quickly when he came in that he was surprise dthey didn't get whip lash. He stopped immediately in front of Tom.

"I'm going out." He said coldly, the dishes on the table rattling menacingly.

"But why? Didn't you just go out last-" Tom tried to say but he was cut off by the explosion of twenty glass goblets around the table.

"I'M GOING OUT!" Harry yelled, his enraged voice echoing from around the expansive room.

Before anyone knew what had happened, he had stormed from the room in a barrage of parsletongue curses. But beneath his rage, Tom could, interestingly enough, feel that Harry was…upset by something. Had his newest project failed? Surely not. So what had inspired this rage and discontent? That was when he saw a pasty white, almost green Draco lurking in the doorway. Tom's eyes narrowed and he crooked a finger at the boy.

"Draco. Come here."

Tom wanted to go to his second in command quickly and see what had happened to anger and upset him so but he knew that he had to see to Draco's confession first. So reluctantly, he sent Severus to find his wayward Puppeteer. He resented anyone trying to seek Harry's attentions. It was jealousy really. He didn't like competition. And he knew that Severus had definitely caught Harry's eye and vice versa. He could only hope that their previous dislike of one another would keep them from each others arms.

"Now, I would like to know exactly what happened between you and Harry."

~o~

Severus growled low in his throat. Why in bloody blazes did Potter have to go off and traipse through this wilderness? On the outskirts of the Manor proper, there was an abandoned courtyard with what remained of an ancient library within it. It had been virtually swallowed by wilderness however some years ago and it was into this place that he had seen Harry flee. Why he would chose this place was beyond the potion's master's comprehension though. He navigated his way through just enough of the weeds to see Harry sitting against the wall, fingering his miniature puppet. It was a female puppet in a soft lacey dress with a blade in hand.

"What is it, Severus?" The emerald eyed hellion asked, his rage seemingly gone for the moment but the man knew better than to assume that.

"I just want to know what happened up there, Harry. That's all. I'm not here to make you come back."

Harry smirked slightly but it didn't hold any of his usual cheer, malicious or otherwise.

"Have a seat Severus. Anywhere is fine."

The man did as directed and found himself on a fallen tree not far away. He looked at the boy that had so captivated his attentions for the past month. He was an Incubus in captivity. A nymph trapped out of their element. He was sarcastic and bitter but passionate and consuming. A truly remarkable creature and Severus had every intention of finding out exactly what set him off.


	4. Horror on Earth is real and it is every day.

Disclaimer: Nope!

Chapter Three~~~

"YOU DID WHAT?"

Draco flinched, trying to become suddenly invisible. He shrank further down in his seat in the face of the Dark Lord's rage. And the Dark Lord was ANGRY. His cheek still stung from where Lucius had slapped him for his earlier words to Harry. After all, his father fancied the boy too. He had listened to them in his father's bedroom many times. How mortifying it would be if everyone at school knew that his father was boinking the Boy-Who-Lived-To-Screw-Everyone's-Brains-Out. Lucius was holding Voldemort back from Crucioing him in his seat. At this point, Voldemort was so furious Draco wouldn't be surprised if he tried to tear his throat out with his bare hands.

"Draco, I am VERY disappointed in you. Rest assured your mother WILL hear about this!" Lucius threatened and the shaking teen felt his stomach drop.

Bugger. Narcissa Malfoy was known far and wide for her intolerance to shameful words in public. In front of Harry would definitely be considered in public, especially since she loved the Puppeteer like a favorite friend. She invited him over for tea and for his opinions on her new outfits more than she did her female friends!

"Not that! Anything but Mom! She'll kill me!" He cried but Voldemort lunged forward, itching to get his long pale fingers around Draco's throat.

"AND I WON'T!" He seethed, still being restrained by Lucius, "You pathetic fool!"

The Malfoy patron glared back at his son.

"No arguing! You will go find Harry and you will give him your most heartfelt apology! NOW!"

Draco scurried out of the room just in time to hear the door slam of it's own volition. Shit. He was in for one hell of a night.

~o~

Severus stared at him with wide eyes.

"He did what?" He asked in surprise, hardly daring to believe his godson's audacity.

"Mhmm. He called me a whore in more words or less. His exact phrasing I believe was," He held up the small puppet on his belt and the mouth opened, replaying Draco's exact words back. "' Well, at least I don't spread my legs for anyone that comes by! At least I have standards! I don't have to be lascivious just to get people's attention!'"

Severus's surprise turned to shock and then to hard, cold rage. Oh, Narcissa would hear about this! And when Tom found out…Draco would be lucky to get out with all of his bits intact. The Dark Lord did not take kindly to anyone insulting what he considered to be his. And he did see Harry as his. Very much so. He frowned.

"Well…I don't think you're a whore. No matter what Draco or anyone else says. I know that there is a deeper person than what you show everyone else." He stated simply.

Harry's eyes darkened, going from bright emerald to dark jade I just an instant.

"How do you know that…?" Harry whispered, toying with his puppet lightly.

He was surprised when Severus laid his hand on his wrist, stilling his movements.

"Because I've seen it."

The Potion's Master stood and with a small, light smile helped Harry up from his perch. He watched the boy put up his mask again, layer by indestructible layer, until he could no longer see the vulnerable boy he had witnessed just moments ago.

"Come inside. I'm sure Tom is burying Draco in the walls as we speak."

Harry laughed, mindful that Severus's hand had never left his own. He let the man gently lead him back to the manor.

~o~

Harry was just tossing the man's carcass he had used for his new puppet earlier to Fenrir and his little pups when Draco found him at last. He skillfully ignored the blond for at least a good ten minutes before Draco finally got annoyed.

"Harry, can I talk to you for a minute?"

In answer, he set his puppet down on the table that overlooked the clearing where the wolves were nesting. He transfigured the doll's knife into a timer and set it on one minute. He raised an eyebrow at the twit to continue.

"I'm sorry for being a ponce earlier. It was uncalled for and I apologize. Will you forgive me?" He pleaded, conscious of his mother looming threatening on the horizon.

Harry seemed to think about it for another good thirty precious seconds before nodding.

"Very well, Draco. I will forgive your wretched little mouth. But only as long as you vow to help me on a few little…jobs I'll be taking care of within the month."

Draco agreed emphatically. He really did feel ashamed for the way he had spoken. Harry may be somewhat more lascivious than he but he got by and he did a damn good job of it too. He was just doing what he needed to and enjoying it as he went. There was nothing wrong with that at all.

"About the things I said earlier, Harry…" He began but was cut off with a finger to his lips and a wicked grin.

"What things, Draco? You said nothing to me earlier."

The blond blushed when Harry's finger touched his mouth. He vaguely entertained the thought of pulling the appendage into his mouth but kicked the thought immediately, stomping it down into submission. He would not have unreasonable thoughts about Harry Potter! The boy was boffing his FATHER for Merlin's sake! At least Harry was willing to forgive and forget. With a pleased hum, the puppeteer put one hand on the railing and vaulted over it, much to Draco's horror. Didn't he realize that those wolves would attack him? He landed smoothly, not six feet from where Fenrir was letting his pups tear into the carcass. The alpha regarded him with a leer, morphing back into his naked male glory and whisking Harry against him with one rock hard arm.

"Hello, puppy. The meat's alittle dry this time around but you know how I do appreciate your…little gifts. Perhaps you can stay this time and give me a little gift of my own." He purred and Harry just rolled his eyes and ran a hand through the shaggy hair above him.

"Nuh uh, Fenrir. You aren't mating me. I'm not available for permanent relationships. You know that."

The werewolf laughed, a deep rumbling bass. Harry purred at the feel of it against his skin.

"Yes, yes, puppy, I know. You are quite determined for one so young. Mhmm, but perhaps I can change your mind…"

"You are certainly willing to try. I want to see if I can make Voldemort so flustered that he looks like one of the Weasleys."

The monster laughed again and much to Draco's horror, carried Harry away into the woods.


	5. Nothing will be what it is because everything will be what it isn't

Disclaimer: Nope. And I never will. Sigh.

Chapter Five~~~

Harry had always had the need for physical gratification. He blamed his upbringing. He was starved for touch and attention. When he finally broke free of the oppressive grasp he had lived under since infancy, he found his options limitless. He had discovered that, once he had that touch he had yearned for for so long the first time, he couldn't seem to resist wanting more. He craved it. And it seemed that every person he was with satisfied something inside him. If they didn't he didn't get with them. Fenrir, the man who was even then panting wildly above him, satisfied his more feral needs. Lucius, called to his more sophisticated side, and Tom…well, he loved to tease Tom. He hadn't fallen to the Dark Lord's plotting to bed him yet but he knew he would. He wanted to make him wait though. If Tom waited, then he would want him even more and it wouldn't be as likely that he would ditch him after only a few nights as he did his previous lovers. He wanted him to actually want him, not just lust after him. He wanted to enjoy touching Tom. He heard Fenrir give a roar above him and immersed himself once more in the pleasure he was being given and giving in return.

~o~

Tom hissed, anger building as Harry waltzed into his study, all sexed up and looking like he'd just rolled from someone's bed. He looked bloody delicious. The teen just gave a shrug and carelessly plopped down into the armchair.

" I see no fire, Tom. What's the rush? What's so important that you had to call me from my...free time?"

Harry pouted to underline his meaning. However, it only served to make Tom's own rage boil. In a second, he was up from his own chair and his pale fingers were encircling the teen's throat. He was furious. And very very jealous. Harry would let everyone else but him, who wanted him more than any of those other people, have him. Why? Did he just enjoy seeing him angry?

"And who's bed were you gracing this time, my pet? Who were you letting have their way THIS TIME?" He yelled, squeezing the small neck until he knew that there would be bruises.

Something dark and feral flamed to life inside those emerald eyes and it made something coil tight in the Dark Lord's stomach. He shook the boy hard, his grasp on his neck still tight.

"WHO WAS IT?"

Harry's eyes were filled with rage, yes, but also a dark amusement.

"Fenrir." He choked out.

The man's face contorted in fury and disgust. He could feel the air around him heat at the anger Harry's "protection" was exuding. No doubt the teenager was holding back from using it. He released Harry as if he were something slimy that would taint him at any moment. His expression just made the Puppetmaster's sneer deepen. Tom's crimson eyes leveled with his own and suddenly he was drowning in the emerald depths.

"You ARE mine, Harry Potter. Whether you will face the fact or not." He hissed, watching him touch his neck gently.

The marks were already beginning to show. He nearly winced. They looked like they hurt. Tom knew that he should have never laid hands on the teen but he was just so frustrating! Couldn't he just sit still for a moment? However, the look on Harry's face was like a blow to the face. He had never seen such an expression on the boy's countenance. It was one of utter rage and, worse, disappointment. Harry's rage he could handle. He had handled it many times before. It was his disappointment that left Tom staring as his would be lover turned full and stormed from the room.

~o~

Severus was a man of few needs and few wants. He was a content person. He was perfectly at peace sitting in his lab day and night. However, he had noticed that Harry Potter was not at peace. His young nymphomaniac was troubled although he would not let anyone see it. Severus yearned to know what unsettled the teen so deeply. He seemed restless. As if were continuously searching for something, even though he didn't realize it and didn't know what it was. He had been pondering this train of thought for some time when his door burst open suddenly. Tom stood in it looking angry but flustered.

"Severus! You found him earlier. Where is Harry?" He asked quickly, distressed.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Harry! He's gone off and left again. Where was he earlier? I need you to find him!"

He sighed, setting his ladle down. Tom and Harry must have argued again. Something horrible too judging by his Lord's distress. Harry rarely ran out. Especially on Tom.

"Very well. I'll look for him."

It was turning out to a long night.

"Harry?" He called out, brushing away the dripping foliage.

Severus had decided to try looking in the ruins where he had found Harry earlier. Unfortunately, it had been pelting rain for some time now, thick fat drops that stung his unprotected face. He sincerely hoped Harry hadn't been out in this mess. He finally broke free of the vines and weeds to see Harry sitting still on his log, facing the opposite way.

"Harry!"

He was just about to step over the threshold when one of the boy's life-sized puppets stepped into view, barring his way with a spear of some sort. He glared it down but it didn't budge. Instead, he heard a breathy, crazed voice come from it.

'Hey Boss! Should we let the bat come through?'

He heard a woman's voice cackle.

'Oh yes! Let's play with him!'

"No! Severus is not for playing with. Let him through."

The puppet stepped back and the voices went to chittering amongst themselves once more. Harry turned to him as he approached. The eyes were dark again. It seemed this was the only place that Harry could let that half of him come out. The deep feeling, emotional side. Severus nearly asked what happened when his eyes were drawn to the shock of black and purple at the boy's neck. He didn't need to ask. He could already guess.

"Tom?" He whispered, only getting a nod in return.

He took the boy's hand gently, and pulled him up from his seat.

"Why was he mad?"

"Because I let Fenrir have his wicked, dirty way with me."

At this statement he earned a small smile from Harry at last. Severus rolled his eyes.

"You just experience life in a different way. He's a jealous man. He doesn't like to share." The potion's master said off handedly, half imagining himself, pressing Harry into the dirt, pushing into him as far as he could go…

He shrugged off the visual quickly, eyeing the puppet that followed them.


	6. Sometimes the curiosity can kill the soul but leave the pain

Disclaimer: Nope. I own nothing but the dirty dirty plotline.

Chapter Six~~~

Harry stood, as stubborn as an ox while Severus prepared for dinner. Tom was holding a large dinner for the upcoming week of negotiations. The delegation would meet in the day and huge parties would be thrown during the nights. A week of partying and he was not going to pass up the opportunity. He wouldn't miss the parties but he would be damned if he was going to have to sit through a whole day and a boring dinner of Tom. That man was infuriating! He still had the ugly bruises to prove it. The things had only darkened and Severus had surmised that Tom's wild magic had stained the things on until the Dark Lord saw fit to take them off. The information had only infuriated the teen more. Who did that man think he was? Severus bent over to pull his pants over his black boxers, feeling rather self conscious at the emerald eyes that were boring into him.

"So, Severus, I don't suppose you would like to accompany me to the party later tonight would you?" He questioned, pulling the man's robe from the bed with a mocking grin so the potion's master couldn't finish dressing.

The man gave a small huff but smiled gently, eyes apologetic.

"I would love nothing more than to escort you tonight, Harry, but what is going on between you and Tom is a fight I want no part of. I rather like all my bits in the correct order. So, if you wouldn't mind…" Harry relinquished the robe with a laugh.

He knew that Severus was sincere when he said he would love to take him.

"Soo…Suppose the party is a bust. Could I maybe come back here and spend it with you?"

Severus grinned and raised a cheeky eyebrow.

"In your study."

The look did not change.

"In a purely platonic way."

Severus pretended to look insulted.

"Okay, maybe not in a PURELY platonic way."

The man laughed and flicked Harry's mask that was resting over his head at the moment. Long jade earrings hung down to his shoulders, the decorative round metal plates chiming together with each of his subtlest of movements.

"You know you are always welcome here." He said softly running one of the long earrings against his palm.

His reward was a soft smile in return. Severus eyed the bruises with a wince touching the one nearest the boy's collarbone lightly. Harry sighed at the cool touch on his hot angry flesh.

"They look like they still hurt."

"They hurt like bloody fuck. I do not appreciate being man-handled like some domestic abuse victim. I think I'll leave an extra special present in Tom's bed for this tonight. Maybe that will teach him not to treat me like one of his hookers."

He snorted.

"Antagonizing him will get you nowhere, Harry."

The teen hissed angrily, mindful of his puppets standing just inside the shadows. He wasn't angry at Severus and he knew that but the whole situation was just infuriating!

"I won't roll over and be his bitch either!"

Harry found himself encased in a pair of arms, his anger diffusing immediately. Severus held him for the moment just absorbing the feeling.

"I wouldn't have you so. Nothing so degrading as that. Just…make him work extra hard to make it up to you. He needs you, Harry. Never doubt that. Aside from your alliance, He wouldn't be whole without you. You're the only person who sees him for himself whether it be pleasant or unpleasant. He needs you and no matter how he may hate admitting it, he would have a hollow victory without you at his side. I know he may seem like an arrogant son of a bitch now, but you have to make him see that respect is what will win him your heart, not jealousy and domination."

He nodded, just standing in the embrace for a moment, not bothering to pull away. There were so few who wanted him for him and not for his power or his body. Severus was one of those few. With Severus, he could see himself settling down and just being…happy.

"Thanks, Severus." He said before smiling cheekily and handing the man a small box on a chain. "I meant to give it to you previously but other events got in the way. It has one of my dolls in it. It will come to your aid when you need it and will only go back to sleep once you will it."

The potion's master was touched. Harry was concerned about him. With a jealous Dark Lord out for Harry's arse and Severus as his only confidante, it was a reasonable concern.

"Thank you, Harry."

~o~

Tom fumed silently, sitting in the negotiations hall amongst his closest allies and friends. Harry had yet to show up. Where the hell was he? He knew that he was still mad but not even bothering to show up on time for the most important part of the negotiations? Was he out of his mind? The Veela beside him sniggered. Bloody Victoria.

"So where is our Puppet Master, Lord Voldemort? Trouble in paradise?"

Bloody Veela! She sounded like she knew. Victoria's mother was a Seer, so she probably did know. He gave her a charming smile.

"Of course not, my Lady Victoria. He was merely caught up in some emergency I imagine."

He better be! He growled inwardly.

"Now now, Lord Voldemort, remember. We must not tell lies. Otherwise who knows what could happen to that pretty tongue of yours. I apologize for my tardiness. I found myself engaged elsewhere for a bit."

Harry had finally arrived. He stepped into the hall and all eyes were on his approaching form. He was a delicious sight to behold. Harry had left his long hair down to cascade down his back framing his delicate looking features and his emerald eyes. His earrings were long, made of beads, crow's feathers and metal discs that chimed together with each movement. They hung sinuously down to his shoulders. His mask was up, casually, giving the whole room the image of the markings on his face. He had winding swirling lines leading down from his eyes, somehow drawing more attention to those gorgeous depths. A rune was drawn on his forehead, the dice-cup rune standing for rebirth, mystery, magic, sexuality, divination, new beginning and prophecy. Covered by the gloves he wore were the water rune and the protection rune. Not many knew it but the runes were not paint as they were disguised but were actually tattooed onto the teen's body. All were used in the creation of his puppets in some way or another. Very few had been given the privilege of seeing Harry work but those who had respected him all the more for it. It was not a feat easily accomplished and Harry was taking the secret of it to his grave. No one else knew how to trap a person's soul in a vessel. Voldemort could guess, but not even he had been allowed to see how Harry made his creations. Beneath his solid black cloak, Harry wore tight leather black pants and a matching dark wife beater. Voldemort noticed that most of the hall's inhabitants were looking on his future Consort with eyes filled with lust. The Incubus King hadn't taken his eyes from Harry's form since he had arrived and watched his every step as if he were eating up the very sight. He would definitely have to keep an eye on Lord L'Etias. He couldn't have him stealing his future Consort right from under him. Figuratively, of course. Harry took his place behind him.

"Who else were you engaged with, Potter?" Voldemort asked in parsle for their privacy.

Harry leaned down close to him with a bright smile, looking to all as if they were sharing an intimate moment.

"That is none of your concern, Tom. And know this, if you EVER lay another hand on me again, I will use my pretty's teeth to remove your fingers. Then you will never touch me."

The Dark Lord inwardly growled the only sign of his displeasure was a tightening around his eyes and mouth.

"We will see."

Harry turned to Victoria, ignoring Voldemort's response as if he had never uttered it.

"Long time no see, Vicky! You little minx, what have you been up to? Nothing legal, I hope!"

And so the negotiations began.

~o~

Tom stood in his room, getting ready for the party while his future Consort stood in his doorway. Harry would be his, but at the moment they were a little peeved with each other. The Puppeteer was fuming not so silently.

"I do not appreciate being man-handled. Do not ever abuse me again. I'm not one of your bitches or your playthings that you can just treat like crap anytime you feel like it. I'm not your pet." Harry glowered, pulling his glamours away so he could see the dark painful stains on his skin.

Tom smirked playfully, adopting a sly expression.

"But you are my pet, Harry."

Wrong thing to say, he realized too late. Harry's eyes flashed dangerously before darkening. The teen walked up to him, his protections seething around him, whipping the air and his hair into a frenzy. Harry stepped up, close enough to kiss, pressing into his body. His hands found Voldemort's hips and grabbed them hard, as if he were made of steel. There would be bruises later, he knew.

"I am NO ONE'S pet, Tom. Especially not yours. You will not disrespect me in such a way. I will not accept anything but being your equal. I am your ally, not your plaything. Never forget that. If you do, I will take my pretties and I will go elsewhere. There are plenty of others who would do a lot for my skills and talents and I will not hesitate to leave you if I even think you are treating me less than what I know I deserve. You have to respect me or you will never have me or my alliance. I won't accept anything else." He whispered darkly, fury in his voice.

Voldemort's own crimson eyes narrowed dangerously, despite the wonderful little position he and Harry were in. He couldn't even enjoy it at present.

"Is that a threat, Potter?"

Harry sighed, his angry eyes easing slightly so they became an expression that Voldemort had never seen on him before. Something he was having difficulty understanding fully.

"I suppose it is." He responded before breathing against the Dark Lord's lips slowly, "Don't give me a reason to walk away. I don't…want to. But I will. Even though I won't like it, I will leave you." With that final soft statement that had Voldemort's eyes wide, Harry kissed him hard and deep.

Pulling away, he left the room leaving a stunned and thoroughly kissed Dark Lord behind. Voldemort touched his lips in wonder. Perhaps he did have a chance after all. That was the first time Harry had ever kissed him himself. It was…wonderful. Addicting. It was definitely the taste of Harry on his tongue that made him turn back to the mirror and reassess what he was wearing. He could do better. For Harry.


	7. In every piece of glass, in every shard and sliver, I cast my face.

Disclaimer: Nope. I own nothing cept my bag, its contents and my precious Blackberry Tablet! Woot!

Chapter Six

The ballroom in the manor had been transformed by the ladies of the Inner Circle with alittle bit of Harry's help. It was now an enormous club, complete with darkness and a tempo that brought one's most forbidden thoughts to the forefront. Several within his sights were already writhing against one another on the dance floor, more over at the bar. Sipping his drink, Harry sat lounging on a couch, his legs slung over the side and looking to all like a lithe black snake coiled in contentment. Xaven L'Etiase sat on the couch's arm, observing the teen that had caught his eye.

"The party is quite the spectacle. An Incubus could not have done better." He purred, running one of the long earrings through his hand, letting the feather tickle across his palm and imagining it was Harry's long hair.

"Why thank you, Xaven. I am rather pleased with it myself."

"I wish you would accept my invitation, Harry. You would make a beautiful addition to my fold. A beautiful Incubus to stand by my side…"

Harry smirked and rolled over so he was on his hands and knees on the couch, looking up at Xaven with teasing eyes. The position made his spine curve temptingly. Harry had abandoned his heavy practitioner's cloak once the party had started, revealing the sexy outfit below. He looked like some mischievous black magic deity. Circe in human form.

"You wish to turn me and have me in your bed as your Consort. I know. But you know already that I have business here. As a human. However…" Harry said, a small lilt to his voice as if he were verbally egging the Incubus King on, bringing him closer to him.

"Yes?"

"If you were interested in doing a little bit of undercover dealing with me, perhaps I can be persuaded to allow you to turn me only if I am on the brink of death. In my line of work, that may be sooner than anyone else expects. I have no interest in letting my life's work go to waste simply for something as inconvenient as death."

Xaven was instantly intrigued. The teen was captivating already but if he were an Incubus, he would be irresistible. Being the Puppetmaster, aside, Harry was one of the most desired things in the underground, second only to the fabled Elixer of Life. The Dark Lord had his right hand marked as his future Consort, everyone knew it. However, it did not stop Harry from enjoying anyone's company he wished. Xaven had not yet been able to tempt him into his own bed yet, but only because bedding him came with certain…additions.

"Interesting. Perhaps we can work on the terms of this undercover dealing under the covers?"

Harry grinned, his eyes sparkling in the black and purple lights from above.

"Perhaps."

"Tonight. In my rooms at two?"

"I'll be there."

Xaven's smirked broadened as Harry stood and crossed the dance floor to greet Demetri, Lord of the Sluagh. The fey miscreant seemed to be in Harry's very good graces for the two picked up a dance that had many eyes roving over appreciatively. The two were graceful and sensuous, while Harry's hands found their way to Demetri's hips as the fey guided him from behind.

" You seem very keen on Lord L'Etiase tonight, little one. What are you up to?" The Sluagh whispered in his ear so no one else may intrude on their conversation.

Harry laughed, a pleasant sound that made Demetri smirk. His boy knew exactly what he did to those around him and he reveled in it. Owning the desires of a person was to have a power of sorts over them. It was more powerful than threats and pain. It was a power that was binding.

" Being very very bad. I am merely throwing my chips in on more than one place. I am assuring my future is in my own hands and not those who wish otherwise. L'Etiase can help me in that department." He answered simply, feeling Demetri inhale his scent, his nose and lips brushing the skin of his throat.

The music beat above them, shaking the floor and making it damn near impossible to hear anything other than the person grinding against you.

"And I cannot? You know I have petitioned for your attentions myself."

Harry turned in his arms so that he could face the Sluagh head on. Demetri wound his arms around his hips and they continued to dance so they would not attract attention by standing like idiots in the middle of a dance floor.

"I wouldn't have you used so. You know that I treasure you more than most of the men and women who seek my favor. It will annoy my future husband, I imagine."

The man's mouth fell open in shock.

"So he IS your intended! I'm surprised you accepted him."

"Well, he doesn't know that yet. Right now, we are having abit of a rough patch but he is the one I intend to give myself to wholly."

"I see. That is a surprise. I shall take your secret to the grave. I still wonder why you chose me, though. You have many who would do unspeakable things just to have you with them and yet you chose me to spend your time with."

Harry snorted, giving him a rare and condescending eyeroll.

"I chose you because you know what it's like to be an outsider. Just like me. We both know what it's like to be hated and despised by people simply because we exist."

Demetri stilled but Harry kept him moving. His arms tightened around the teen's waist and anger thrummed through him.

"Who?" He whispered in horror and disgust.

Who could hate this amazing creature before him? It was almost an abomination just to speak of it. Harry shrugged off his question, dismissing it as unimportant. Demetri could see the guardedness in the teen's eyes and picked up on what he was discreetly trying to say. It was his secret. No one knew and no one ever would know.

"It is irrelevant. But you are somewhat…important to me. I would not see you used merely for something such as that. I consider you a close companion. A friend, perhaps. I don't want to hurt you by just sleeping with you and then leaving. Do you understand?"

Demetri nodded, feeling honored to be held in such high esteem by the teen. His chest ached at the spoken words. No one had ever held him in such regard before. Sluagh were viciously protective of one another because they were all they had in the world, but they weren't known for their trustworthiness or even parental instinct. They were a pack, a horde, but were relatively indifferent to each other emotionally. Harry had just given him something he had been longing for for a hundred years. A figure caught his eye on the stairs coming down to the dance floor and a grin built on is expression.

"Allow me to be your protector from this day on, Harry Potter, Puppetmaster. I pledge myself to you." He said with determination and passion.

Many around them turned to stare in wonder, some in objection. They didn't want anyone that close to him if they could help it. It decreased their chances of getting to him first. He could see the main objection in their eyes though. He was Sluagh. He was dirty. Unworthy. But Harry smiled brightly and proved how much he mattered to him. Harry proved his worth to them all.

"I accept you Demetri, Lord of the Sluagh, as my protector and companion."

Demetri nodded before his grin widened.

"Your Dark Lord is coming." He chuckled before spinning the teen outward, right into Tom's arms.

Harry's eyes were surprised but softened slightly when he took in the Dark Lord's appearance. He had dressed in dark crimson, Harry's favorite color, and arranged himself the way he knew his right hand liked. It was meant as the statement between them that it was. He was seeking Harry's attentions…and his forgiveness. Tom caught him up in a swaying, hypnotic dance just as soon as Harry's eyes became guarded and flat. He was still angry with him for earlier.

"I am sorry for earlier. I did not mean to offend you. Perhaps I was playful at the wrong moment." Tom said against his cheek while they moved together.

He hummed in response, much to the Dark Lord's slight concern. Perhaps he wouldn't be forgiven for this slight? Perhaps Harry had finally had enough? The very thought made Tom cold.

"Don't leave…I will do better at respecting you from now on. Please accept my apology, Harry."

The Dark Lord sounded truly humbled, much to Harry's pleasure.

"I will not leave this time, Tom. But remember my words from earlier. I could change my mind." Harry said, adding a teasingly lilt to the last sentence before butting noses with the man with a grin.

Tom's eyes were surprised. Was Harry being playful with him? He gave the boy a grin and butted his nose back. Harry replied by giving him a soft kiss. His chest warmed. He wanted nothing more than to claim Harry as his own in front of everyone so they knew who he belonged to. But no. Harry didn't belong to him. He belonged WITH him. At his side, as his equal. Harry smiled at the Dark Lord's actions. Perhaps he really had learned his lesson. He seemed truly apologetic. He decided that he had better tell Tom about his plans for the night. He deserved that for being so good.

"I have business with L'Etiase tonight. Do not worry, he will have no claim on me. Demetri will go to be sure the Incubus doesn't try anything. He will be my protector from now on so play nice, okay?" He said and felt strangely like a wife telling her husband not to worry if she was alittle late coming home.

Tom's mouth thinned but he nodded acquiescingly. He understood what it took to gain allies. They were at war after all. But Harry had told him ahead of time. They were taking steps in their relationship at last.

"I'll be in the study when you return working on some last minute papers for tomorrows negotiations. Come in before you go to sleep." Was the reply he received.

It was Tom's way of saying 'I'll wait up for you, come let me know you're safe' without saying it and sounding like a lovesick sap. Harry nodded before kissing the tightness in the man's mouth away. They were partying, having fun. That look did not belong on Tom's face.

~o~

L'Etiase lay beside him, allowing him to map the plains of his chest with skillful fingers after their fun for the night. He himself was enjoying a glass of red wine while he watched the delicious teen laying beside him, using his abdomen as a pillow.

"So tell me of this deal of yours. I am very interested."

Harry shifted on the down feather bed appreciatively. Being with an Incubus was always amazing. His whole body ached pleasantly as if his world had been rocked completely. He imagined that when he finally bedded Tom, it would be even sweeter.

" It is simple. When I come to the brink of death, you may give me your blood to turn me into one of your horde. In exchange, I want three quarts of blood from those of your line and one vial of it from yourself."

Xaven was taken aback. Of all of the things he could ask for, of all of the things that Xaven would trade for him, Harry asked for blood? Peculiar.

"That is all? And what pray tell, will my blood be used for?"

Harry chuckled and gave him a don't-kiss-and-tell smile.

"Call it a pet project if you will."

"Very well. You shall have it at the meeting tomorrow." He growled slightly put out.

Harry gave him a kiss in thanks, rolling them both back over for an exquisite round two.

~o~

Tom sat in his high back chair waiting for Harry's arrival. He was rewarded at last, at about four o'clock with the opening of his door and a tired yawn. Harry dragged himself inside the study, his earrings chiming with every step.

"Hey Tom." He mumbled, plopping himself gracefully down on the long loveseat that Tom had spent the last hour fantasizing about them on.

"Are you well? Did he bite you? Did he hurt you?" The Dark Lord asked immediately, hearing the chuckle of Harry's protector by the door.

He shot the Sluagh a glare before Harry waved him off, relinquishing Demetri to go until the next morning. He bowed to the two men before fading into the shadows and disappearing from sight.

"I'm fine, Tom. Bite free. Alittle sore but I'll live. I'm beat. Do you mind if I just sleep here?"

Tom shook his head and tugged a warm blanket from the chest by the couch, draping it over his future Consort. Harry mumbled his thanks before the man began heading for the door.

"Hey Tom." He heard him call out just after opening the door to his rooms.

"Yes, Harry?"

"I do forgive you." He said sleepily.

Tom felt his heart nearly melt and he nodded, heading to bed, unsure now whether he would even be able to sleep.


	8. I did not realize then that I was an animal already dying.

Disclaimer: Nada.

Chapter Eight

Fred and George sat together long into the night bent over a small letter. They shared identical grins, never making a sound between them, preferring instead to use their connection between them. They had been able to hear one another's thoughts since they were children. No one had ever really been able to tell them apart. Except one. The one they now intended to make theirs.

~o~

Harry made his way through the crowd of people, the singular thought of coffee heaven coursing through his mind. This whole conference thing was wearing on him. The delegates were all sprawled this place and that grabbing whatever their preference for breakfast was from the buffet. The house elves had specific sections for each convoy, depending on what their tastes ran. Everyone was clustered around their own groups, speaking in this language and that, struggling through the early morning haze. Many were unsurprisingly nursing hangover potions. He and Xaven shared a look but he abandoned the connection for the coffee that was shoved in his face. Tom stood before him with an amused smirk but Harry couldn't bring himself to tell him he was a jackass and just smiled his thanks at the Dark Lord. Tom knew he was not a morning person. Especially when he had been out all night. He liked that the man knew his quirks so well. He sipped the coffee with a hum of bliss. He even knew how he liked his coffee! He looked up at the man with a grin.

"You just earned some serious brownie points." He said and Tom laughed.

Demetri met them at the front of the queue, standing on the raised platform that acted as a stage for the event.

"Your night went well I presume." The Sluagh asked, his question sounding more like a statement.

Harry's mind sharpened with every sip of the delectable liquid. Vanilla Nut Crème…Black, the way God intended it. Bliss! He nodded to his friend and noted that Tom seemed to be listening with special interest now.

"It did. Everything is settled now. I have what I need."

He thought on the blood that was soon to be his with a pleasant shiver. His project would be flawless. Perfect. Speaking of projects, where was his special helper? Draco was no where to be found and he knew that he had been instructed to attend the gala event. Hm.

Demetri descended the stair, making his way to the two most powerful men in the room. He could hear the chitter of Harry's other less live unseen protectors in the air. Voldemort and he shared a long look between them. They both were going to have to get used to each other now. Before, they had been content to ignore each other aside from their acquaintance through Harry. They were from both opposite ends of the Dark world. Harry tilted his head to the side and in seconds, one of his puppet minions scurried up through the crowd, eliciting stares and some outright gasps from some in the room. It whirred and clicked like a machine though no machinery was visible. It was a frightening thing to behold, however. The mannequin was faceless except for a wide jester's grin, from the center of which a thin short tube jutted like a proboscis on some insect. Its body was disproportionately thin and its hands oddly shaped with one long hook-like finger where the index should have been. It clicked in a way that resembled a purr and Harry's mouth quirked upward as he ran a finger over the thing's cheekbone.

"Find my assisstant. I require him." He ordered it with a true purr as if he were speaking to a favored child.

The thing made an awkward squat bow and scurried up the wall, using the clawlike extensions on it's hands to move up to the ceiling and scurry away. Tom raised an eyebrow as Harry gave him a wicked grin. He wrapped his arms around Tom's neck, much to the man's pleasure, and kissed his lips softly.

"I must be absent from the proceedings for a span tonight. I will be back before ten." He said, swaying lightly in the Dark Lord's arms, betraying his good mood.

Tom held him against him as he swayed but he was trying not to frown.

"Who are you seeing?"

Harry smirked.

"No one. I must attend to my…more delicate experiments. My last ingredient has been acquired and I am anxious to begin my testing."

Tom nodded and at last a grin spread across his handsome face.

"Well then, I wish you luck."

"Thank you."

Harry looked over and was met with a bleary eyed, angry Draco who stood under the watchful guard of his puppet. He sniggered. Draco looked as if he had barely had time to throw on a robe before being ushered out of bed.

"Ah, there you are, lovely. We're going to be do some experiments at last today. You will finally be able to put yourself to good use."

Voldemort looked between the two teens with a wry grin. Sometimes, it was so hard to remember that Harry and the youngest Malfoy were actually the same age. They acted as if they were decades apart. Draco gave him a scathing look but merely proceeded to the breakfast table grumpily. Harry patted his puppets head before it was relinquished from duty and disappeared back into the depths of the manor. Tom watched it go, wondering just how many of those fearsome soldiers Harry had created from the harvested souls of murders, thieves and villains. No matter how nefarious they had been in life, they all bowed to the Puppetmaster's whim in death.

~o~

Harry grinned like a Cheshire cat when his newest creation stood from the tub it was in. Draco looked pale and horrified and yet transfixed and awed. The puppet was the exact replica of Neville Longbottom. From his frumpy brown hair to his dirty water colored eyes and nude, dumpy figure.

"Who is your master, my puppet?" The Puppetmaster asked, his eyes alight with triumph.

A whole year of researching and he had at last been successful.

"You are, Master."

Harry walked around his creation with glee.

"You are the first of your kind. My Mimiqui. You are my General and as such, I will be sending you on a mission of the utmost importance. You will be invading the school Hogwarts, as the student Neville Longbottom. Seek him out and extract his essence. Afterwards, you will feed him a polyjuice potion and destroy him. You will take his corpse to the Headmaster and tell him that he attacked you. I have already implanted the false memories in your mind. You will claim that he was under polyjuice, which will explain the traces of the potion in his system. You will live as Longbottom. You will get close to the Headmaster. He believes the boy is his play thing and will do whatever he presses into his thick skull." Harry grinned wickedly looking far too cheerful in Draco's opinion, " The goal is simple. Kill, replace, and finally, destroy from the inside. Do you understand?"

"Of course, my Master."

"Good. I will keep in touch in the usual way only. Your comrades will follow suit. You will know them."

Draco watched the puppet disappear through the floo with a mixture of anxiety and intrigue. Harry had allowed him to hear all of that. So...What now? The Puppetmaster turned to him with that same too cheerful smile. Suddenly, Draco had a wand pointed between his eyes.

"Now, lovely. I do believe I need a Vow from you if you're to leave this room with your memory in tact."


	9. Replacement Revolution

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my laptop. Nada. The plotline is mine though, but if you want to use anything form it, all you have to do is ask. I share very well. Most of the time.

Chapter Nine~~~Replacement Revolution

Harry was in a strangely good mood the next night and Tom was beginning to wonder. His experiments were his life's work true, but…He frowned. There was something up. Voldemort watched his Puppet Master speaking to Severus in a dark corner of the patio, a bright smile on his face. It wasn't just that he was smiling though. There was a softness in his eyes that he just didn't look at anyone else with. A smile on Severus's face was another anomaly. The cranky potion's master rarely smiled. For him to do it so easily with Harry made something hot and ugly coil tight and furiously in the Dark Lord's stomach. It made a hiss pass through his mouth, unheard by anyone else. He turned from the sight and back into his rooms. He had been just about to go down to the party when he had spotted the couple from his personal balcony. With one glance back, he noted that the two were now missing from the scene. He sincerely hoped that they had gone back into the party but something told him that they hadn't. Voldemort aimed a glare of fury at his room before throwing a globe across the room, watching it shatter against the far wall. He swallowed his feelings as best as he could and slowly walked to the party, hoping for Harry's sake that they were somewhere in the crowd.

~o~

Harry sat with Severus in the center of the maze of hedges, a soft smile on his face. He hadn't felt such lovesick giddiness since…never really. His head swam with it. With Tom, he had a dark sort of love. One that was centered around the fact that Tom had to remove his head from his arse before he could finally give in. With Lucius it had just been mutual fun. With everyone else it had been mainly to secure alliances and his powerbase. He had never felt this sort of freeing feeling. In half of his mind, he was disgusted with himself for allowing such a display of childishness. On the other hand however, he genuinely adored Severus. All of the man's quirks and sarcasms, everything. He chuckled lightly at the rambunctious fairy that had taken to buzzing around Severus's hair and spinning rapid braids in it. The potion's master swatted the thing away with an amused scowl, grimacing at the three braids. Harry grinned and reached up to untangle them himself. His hair was so soft. When he looked back at Severus's eyes, he saw an amused reflection of his own longing for that one person, the fabled One. When Severus's lips timidly found his, he didn't rush in like he did with all others. He didn't pull away. Harry kissed him back just as chastely. He didn't want lust, like he sought from the others. He didn't want to control him. Harry wanted his love. He supposed that it was unfair of him to wish such a thing because they both knew that he would be with Tom in the end. Neither of them could bring themselves to not want it though. This tender affection that neither had ever experienced in full. So they kissed under the full moon in the Dark Lord's gardens and let themselves enjoy it, knowing full well that when they went back to the party, to the rest of the world they would have to be just colleagues, maybe friends, once more. Harry knew for sure that Severus was the only person he had been with to date whose arms he had lain in that loved him. Not his body, but HIM. It was a thought that made him very…sad. So he let himself cry as Severus held him beneath that full moon. His partner didn't need to ask why. Severus already knew. He knew him better than anyone else ever would.

~o~

Voldemort watched his two masters come back into the hall together, chatting about some potion or another that Harry was using in his wide arsenal and how it could be best suited for different circumstances. He could feel that coiled rage inside him simmer and lash out at his insides, making his anger spike dangerously. Lucius seemed to notice something was wrong because he gently but quickly tugged the glass out of his Lord's hand. The glass had fine cracks running up it. Narcissa came to her husband's aid immediately.

"My Lord, may I steal you away from Lucius for this next dance?"

~o~

Xavin watched the Puppetmaster approach, a small grin on his mouth. He let the delicious young man pull him away silently, a mischievous look in his eyes. What was the teen up to now? He thought that the little minx wanted to have some more fun until he noticed the Dark Lord's potions master following them inconspicuously. So it was something they didn't want anyone to know about? He looked at Harry and smirked. Well, he would be glad to assist the beauty. After all. One day, Harry would be his anyways.

~o~

Voldemort retired to his rooms alone that night, silently fuming over the way that Harry and Severus were close when even he and Harry hadn't approached that level of intimacy. He swore and kicked his shoes off. There would be no rest for him tonight. Not with this one his mind. Oh well. At least he could work on the alliance papers for the next day.

~o~

Harry groaned, the burn coursing through his blood. He leaned against the door panting. The pain was excruciating but the urge hurt him to the core. His intended was here! He had to be! He needed relief! He needed HIM! It was mere seconds before Tom came through the bedroom door curiously, lured by his presence. He immediately attached himself to the Dark Lord's mouth, much to the man's confusion. The pain began to abate, lulled by the promise of relief to come. Harry felt his eyes roll back into his head at the sensations that overwhelmed him at that moment.

"{Touch me.}" He hissed in parsle.

Tom was just about to joyfully comply when the door burst open admitting a very hassled looking potion's master.

"Don't! He's been slipped a lust potion!"

Tom immediately held the squirming, cursing teen away from him. Harry groaned, biting off the sound with a plea in the snake language. The Dark Lord himself was cursing his stupidity. He wanted Harry so badly that he had completely missed the obvious. He had nearly taken advantage of him! Looking down at the young man in his hands, the signs were apparent. Dilated eyes, heavy panting, increased body heat. Merlin, his skin felt as if it were burning! If he ignored Severus now though, he could have Harry…No. That wasn't the way to assure the Puppet Master's affections. It was the way to assure his rage and hatred. His rejection. He glared at Severus making the man take a nervous step back.

"Who? How could you let this happen? Where are his protectors?"

"Tom!"

"No, Harry. Not this way. I won't take advantage of you like this." He whispered, instantly sobering and he painfully distanced himself.

Something flashed in those fey-like eyes as Severus rushed over to inject the anti-serum, but the Dark Lord did not see it. He had turned away so he would not be further tempted. As much as he was angry at the couple behind him, he wouldn't let himself vent at them. Severus was his…trusted colleague. He wouldn't alienate him just because he slept with Harry. He bitterly had the thought, who HADN'T slept with him, other than him, of course. Severus looked awkwardly between the two of them, shooting Harry a smile before leaving the couple to the conversation they were surely bound to have. Tom felt small, familiar hands slip into his own from behind. Harry laid his cheek against his back as if he were resting there peacefully.

"You did it, Tom…"

"What?"

"You did it. You finally showed that you respect me." Tom sat a moment in stunned silence before Harry's last comment took him off guard, "I knew you could do it…"

Finally, Harry thought with a relieved sigh and gently tugged Tom into his bedroom. Tom respected him at last. They could FINALLY be together.

Tom lay next to his beloved, caught up in in elation and blissful exhaustion after the touches, the kisses and the burning heat that had coursed through them. He was not so caught up that he wasn't thinking the situation through though. Harry was by no means a virgin and he had made it very clear that he was not interested in monogamy. The thought made him cringe inside but it was true. Harry used the desires of others to secure his powerbase and to create alliances. As a Dark Lord, he understood that one had to give something before you could get something in return, but he wasn't sure he could get passed having to wonder every moment of every day where and with who his husband was with. Harry smiled over at him, frowning though when he saw the thoughtful look on the Dark Lord's face.

"What's wrong, Tom?" Harry whispered, fear beginning to find a place inside him.

It felt as if there were cold ice sitting in his stomach and his heart seemed to have stopped and then sped up all in the same moment. Tom looked into his eyes and Hary hoped he couldn't see the uncertainty he felt there.

"Harry, how many people have you ever been with?"

The question made him reel and he sat up, completely shocked by it. His face closed off.

"Tom, that's quite a question to ask NOW." He said shortly, in a clipped tone.

He felt Tom sit up beside him but the only sound that met his ears was his steady breathing. Harry felt his protectors hover anxiously around him as if waiting for something big to happen. That made him even more nervous. They always knew when something was about to happen. The dead talk after all. He got up and began replacing his missing clothes, leaving his long hair down.

"Harry, I want you to be with me. Just me."

The Puppet Master froze at the mirror, looking into it at the crimson eyed man he adored sitting silently on the bed behind him.

"You know I can't do that…"

"Then…I can't do this. If you won't be with me alone, then I can't be with you at all."

His eyes widened and his hands stilled in his hair where he had been brushing it out with his fingers. He felt his heart seemed to stop beating. Tom was his…everything. He had waited so long to be with him. He had been waiting years for Tom to grow up enough for them to finally be together. He had been through so much. He had refused to build many relationships just because of him. Tom was his past, present.. .His entire future.

"So that's how it is, then…" He whispered, his voice seeming to be stuck in his throat.

He felt a moan of grief and despair build in his chest but refused to give it voice until he was out of the sight of the man.

"Yes."

He couldn't even speak. He merely nodded at the man before quickly taking his leave. As he walked out the door, he swore he could hear the sound of his own heart breaking. He could go to Severus…No. Just the thought of looking at the man with such a broken soul, a shattered heart, made his stomach turn. He turned into his rooms and with one look around the place he had called home since he was young, he flicked his wand, flinging his things into his magical bottomless bag. He couldn't stay. This place was no longer his home. Not without Tom. Surely the man despised him. He had rejected him but…the thought that hurt him the most was that Tom had slept with him first, before telling him he had no intention of being with him. He had just used him. Harry couldn't help it. In the midst of his rooms, he sank to the floor, dissolving into tears.

~o~

Severus walked into his rooms, leaving his lab at long last. He was surprised to see Harry sitting silently on his bed. He had thought that he and Voldemort would be together all night. He certainly didn't expect the teen to look as if his closest friend had just died. Harry looked…crushed. He vaguely noted that despite how calm he looked, there were tear tracks on his face and his red-rimmed eyes held the looked of a shattered soul. What had happened?

"Harry? What's wrong?" He ventured gently, stepping over to sit down beside him.

Harry was silent for a long time before finally answering the concerned man.

"Tom doesn't want me. At all. We…" Harry just shook his head, tears spilling from those broken emerald eyes but Severus understood. They had been together, " But then after, he told me that if I wouldn't be with only him, then he wouldn't be with me at all."

The Potion's master froze in shock. What…?

"I'm going away. I don't know for how long. I just wanted you to know so yo didn't think that you had done something wrong…"

He ran shaking hands through his dark hair and Severus's heart broke for the distressed boy. How long would it be before he saw Harry again? Weeks Months? Years…? Merlin he hoped not. He merely nodded and kissed the top of the Puppet Master's head. With an aching heart he watched Harry Potter walk out of his door and disappear into the night. He let him go because that was what Harry needed. He needed someone who loved him enough to let him walk away.


	10. Remember me and smile, for it's better to forget than to remember me and cry

Disclaimer: I own nothing at all. Except my BA plotline.

Chapter Ten

Voldemort walked into the conference area the next day with a grimace. Demetri and Severus were not to be found. L'Etias was looking around thoughtfully, discreetly scanning the crowd. He could only assume that it was for Harry. Well, at least he could be free to be with the teen now. Voldemort was giving up his claim to Harry's heart. 

He made his way through the crowd somberly, hiding his feelings behind his stoic mask. He hadn't really allowed the despair to set in yet. It felt like he was operating through shock. Everything was numb, unreal. It wasn't a good way to be in the midst of negotiations as cutthroat as these but it was better than wallowing in misery. Angelick of the Fae convoy winked at him before sashaying over, a determined and pleased gleam in her ever-shifting eyes. She was a nymph, full of sensual curves and gleaming skin.

"Lord Voldemort. You have a beautiful home." She said, her voice lilting and exotic.

He gave her a slow, charming smirk. Perhaps this is what he needed. He needed to get Harry out of his system. People moved on all the time right? So he would just move on too.

"Why thank you, Lady Angelick."

"Would you care to be my escort to the party tonight?"

Bingo. To ask someone to be your escort to these parties was lingo for 'I would LOVE to shag you if you can handle it.'

"My Lady, I would be honored."

~o~

"-And those are the plans I have for our world." Voldemort finished his speech, looking out over the delegates.

Many of them were nodding in agreement but some were skeptical. Among the doubters was L'Etias. The Incubi stood and stared down the Dark Lord.

"And where is the Puppet Master for these negotiations? Why does he not have your side as usual?" The demon asked out for everyone to hear.

Many spoke up in agreement of this question, many making small observations aloud as well. Victoria stood next while Xaven sat back to watch the chaos, a calculating gleam in his eyes.

"Yes, Lord Voldemort. Does the Puppet Master no longer hold you in esteem? Does he no longer stand by you?"

Voices raised and general craziness ensued. Even the allegation that Harry no longer stood beside him made several of his potential allies raise eyebrows. He stood himself, taking the opportunity to ease the crowd.

"Harry has merely been detained, as far as I know. He is very likely working out the details of his newest projects with my potion's master now."

It hadn't gone unnoticed that not only was Harry missing but Severus and Draco were missing as well. It was a natural assumption that they were probably working. This quieted the crowd down enough that they could get back to their talks but both Victory and Xaven traded unconvinced looks.

~o~

Draco stood in the doorway of the old library where he and Harry had taken up residence with their experiments. He stared out at the room with a horror building inside him. The bookshelves and furniture were all covered with their respective sheets, as they had been when they had first taken up the room as their own. All of the experiments, all of the ingredients in their crystal vials and the buckets of mixtures, everything was gone. It looked as if they had never been there at all. As if Harry's existence had been erased from the face of the earth. He felt himself turn green. How was he going to explain this to the Dark Lord? In the very center of the room on the floor was a small puppet, its strings cut, with a small but easily discernible lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

~o~

Severus stood in his room and watched the lithe, dark cloaked figure walk from the manor grounds miserably. Harry was going. He was going and it was all Voldemort's fault. He was losing him…He didn't bother stopping the moan of despair that trickled from his chest as he watched his beloved walk away. His hands ghosted over the box that Harry had given him for his protection. Even after he was gone, Harry was protecting him. Inside, the tiny puppet was dressed in a cloak and had a painted smiling face.

~o~

Harry looked at his new apartment in the Americas. It was quaint and subtle, situated in New York. Tom would never think to look for him in muggle America, especially such a populated place. He sighed. The apartment itself was small but seeing as how he had bought the whole complex for privacy, he supposed he had plenty of space. It would be fine…He looked at his new home and finally let his heart sink. This was his new home. He didn't like it but this was how it had to be. Distance. He nodded to himself and set about on organizing his things and writing a letter to Demetri for his aid with his contacts. The Sluagh would be along in a few days. He had after all, sworn to protect Harry. No matter how strong or powerful he was though, Demetri couldn't protect him from heartache.

~o~

Voldemort paced through his study frantically. It had been a week since Harry had said goodbye. He never thought that goodbye had meant for good! He had his forces scouring the country for his ex-lover and he had his contacts in other countries searching as well. All had come up empty so far, though. He had not seen Severus yet but he knew that man was sitting in his rooms. He had summoned the man just moments ago and was waiting, pacing repeatedly. The door opened quietly and Severus emerged from the depths of the dungeons at last.

"Severus."

"My Lord."

They stared at each other for a long time, the potion's master blank expression, a sure sign that he was hiding something.

"Where has Harry gone?" He demanded finally, bringing those obsidian eyes up to his face.

He didn't like to see such a proud man being as quiet and reserved as Severus was being.

"I don't know. Harry was very careful not to reveal his location to me. He doesn't want you to find him." The Potion's Master responded quickly and quietly.

Voldemort swore and continued his pacing. Damn! He was so sure that Severus would know! Harry had at least told him that he was leaving. He growled and dismissed the man, allowing him to disappear once more. He couldn't bring himself to invade Severus's mind or to punish him for helping Harry leave. Severus had lost him too…He tossed back a glass of scotch and grimaced. He had to find Harry.


	11. Remember me and smile, for it's better to forget than to remember me and cry

Chapter Eleven

Dumbledore sat in his office, puzzling over the latest intelligence report from Voldemort's front. In the last six months, the attacks from the mysterious Puppet Master that had eliminated nearly half of the Order in a series of vile assassinations had all but halted. Meanwhile, attacks from Voldemort himself had tripled in their number and intensity. Voldemort seemed to be venting his rage through his attacks. The werewolves, Fae and Dragons had all allied themselves with the Dark. The Dementors and the Incubi Courts were sitting around twiddling their thumbs, though. They seemed to be waiting for something to happen. He heard a soft knocking at his door and smiled.

"Come in, Mr. Longbottom."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

He sighed, staring out at the blackness, his heart heavy. Six months. One hundred and eighty days he'd been gone. Four thousand, three hundred and ninety two hours since he'd left everything and disappeared into the night. Six month since he'd had his heart broken. His breath created a fine white mist on the cool windowpane and he toyed with the idea of tracing an image into it. He heard the door open behind him and his stifled gasp.

"Harry?"

Harry turned around to face the one he had let go. The man who had really loved him…The only one he had trusted with his plan to the leave the manor. He hadn't planned to return at all but it seemed that Fate was determine that he see this war through to the end.

"Severus, I missed you." He said softly, offering him a small smile.

Severus shut his bedroom door, quickly crossing over to him but Harry halted his progress with a raised hand about a yard away. The potion's master frowned at his once lover. Something was very wrong. Harry usually loved affection.

"I missed you too. Are you alright?"

Harry sighed and his smile fell away.

"Severus, I have to tell you something and I'm not sure how you're going to feel about it...Merlin! I'm still not sure how I feel about it but...I'm pregnant."

Severus's whole body tensed and Harry winced inside. He hadn't wanted to come back even after he'd found out months ago, but he knew how pleased Severus would be when he learned that he had a child. Tom, he wasn't so sure about. Could he deny one of his children the right to their father? He wished he could but…it wouldn't be right.

"His?" Was the man's only response.

"And yours. Twins."

Severus looked like he was about ready to collapse. "Twins…" the potions master breathed in disbelief.

Harry felt a knot of fear coil in his chest, tight and uncomfortable. He couldn't do this alone. It was selfish to say, but true. He couldn't do the single parent thing.

"If you want them…" Harry heard himself whisper and Severus jerked around as if he'd been burned.

He found himself suddenly engulfed in a dark-robed embrace, and his eyes suddenly filled with tears. He had tried to remind himself that this was not the end of the world, that he had Severus. It had all seemed so bleak without him. It still felt so hopeless without Tom...Severus was trying to calm and reassure him but it was no use. He allowed himself to be laid down to rest, which was fortunate because his legs chose that moment to rebel and collapse under him. His once lover began giving him potions to drink to which the Puppeteer complied with slight amusement. Severus sighed once again before sitting beside him on the bed. He looked as if he were going to say something but instead just shook his head and leaned over to kiss him deeply, thrusting every ounce of his desperation, sadness, and happiness into that one kiss. No words were needed between them. The last six months had not been kind to anyone in particular, especially the two of them. Harry nearly sobbed again at the contact before the door opened suddenly.

"Severus, I believe I've-" Voldemort began, but when he saw who was in the bed and the tender embrace they had been in, he froze and his voice fell away.

No one had seen nor heard from Harry in six months. For him to just show up in Severus's rooms was…The Dark Lord found himself at a loss for words. Harry looked…terrible. There was tiredness in his eyes that spoke of days in misery and nights lost to aimless meanderings and the tired brooding of the insomniac.

"Harry."

"Lord Voldemort." The teen said, looking at Severus's pale hands in his lap rather than at those crimson eyes that seemed so different from last he had seen them.

Voldemort seemed to bristle slightly but it was suspected. Harry was treating him like a colleague, not someone whose arms he had been so intimate in, and who had once been his whole future.

"Good to see you back and well. I suppose I will brief you on our current situation in my study at eleven. I will see you then. Severus, I left the files on your work station." He said stoically before turning on his heel and walking away.

Harry's lip quivered and Severus wrapped his arms around him once again. Harry's thin frame shook with his sobs.

"What am I going to do, Severus? He hates me and I can't do this again! I can't! I don't want to feel like nothing again…" Harry cried while Severus held him tightly.

The man laid his once lover down in his bed with a Dreamless Sleep potion to rest and went to give into the demands of his master.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Voldemort watched the young man shut the door behind him and enter his study calmly. Harry held himself with that same assurance and self-confidence that had attracted him to the teen years ago. It was only in his eyes that he had changed. It wasn't until Harry had left months ago that he realized just how much his "Services" really did swell Voldemort's power base. He wasn't sure how the teen did it but whatever it was, it had worked. Since he had left, the whole underground had mobilized to find him, with no success thus far.

"Harry."

"Voldemort."

They shared a thick silence for some time while they both took their seats.

"Harry…How have you been?" Was the only thing he managed to get out, a fact that he cursed himself for.

He was acting like a lovesick sap! This wasn't who he was! It wasn't who he had ever wanted to be! Harry's face remained collected as if they had only ever been colleagues. It was something that would have raised his fangs in fury months ago. In their time away though, he had learned that he couldn't fly off in anger with Harry. He just couldn't. He did need him. All of his allies were counting on him standing by his side and the Dementors and Incubi had sworn to only ally themselves directly with Harry.

"Well enough. My experiments have been coming along nicely with all of the blood I gathered from my dealings with the other Courts and hordes. I have enough from each species now and my work is nearly complete." Harry replied offhandedly as if it were something light, like the weather, not the building of an indestructible army.

The Dark Lord nodded silently. He would not ask for him back. It was his idea for them to separate in the first place. He would not fold. He had no reason to feel…guilty. Or betrayed.

"Good. Where have you been all this time?" Sweet and to the point.

"Like I would tell you. I have the full intention of returning there once the battle is won, Voldemort. I don't plan on ever living here again." The Puppet Master said with a derisive snort.

Voldemort stood and walked over to be closer to the now standing teen.

"Don't…talk like that, Harry. You haven't called me that name in private since you first came here. Why must you act like a stranger with me now?" He whispered, touching the long dark unbound hair that spilled like a curtain over his shoulders.

Harry jerked away, quickly crossing the room to the fireplace. Far away, from that wandering touch and those piercing crimson eyes. He couldn't take the look in those eyes right now.

"Because I am a stranger to you, now. I don't think I ever did know you. I thought I did, but it seems the Dark Lord has so many masks that the one I saw was just one more face he showed the public."

Voldemort's eyes bore into his own with a fierceness that would have bowled over a different man.

"You don't seem to be a stranger to Severus."

"You made it blatantly clear to me that you were no longer concerned with who I slept with. As for Severus, we have only slept together once. He is special to me. I treasure him far too much to just sleep with him and leave him after." Harry hissed.

The Puppet Master's words had their intended effect and sank into the Dark Lord's psyche, deeply. Had he taken Harry for granted all that time ago? He had taken what he did for granted, yes, but had he not appreciated Harry himself enough? Harry shook his head.

"Our time was over long ago, Voldemort. Severus knew what I was and accepted me for it anyways. Now it is he who holds my heart."

Voldemort felt that cool rage begin to simmer. He had no reason to be angry. After all, Harry was right, but he had always been a sore loser. Being with Harry was no game though. He had made his intentions to not be with Harry distinctly clear but…what if he had changed his mind? It wasn't fair of him to string him along, but he found himself angry none the less.

"Of course he does. Your mind is just full of him now, it seems. And what does Severus do when you hop through other people's beds? Does he sit at home and wonder where you are or if you're ever going to come back? What does he do when you skip off for six months?" He hissed angrily, his eyes blazing hotly.

"And what does it matter to you? You didn't want me enough to compromise and now it just pisses you off that someone loves me enough to do what you didn't have the balls to! You leave Severus out of this!"

"Oh yes, Severus is so great! He's so special! What does he have that I don't?! And what about all of those other people? All of the men and women you've slept with! How can Severus even bare to touch you after knowing the things you've done?!"

The statement seemed to slap the teen in the face for he rounded on his ex furiously. Voldemort took a step forward, preparing for battle.

"How DARE you! You're the one who rejected me! Not the other way around! And don't you dare tell me how to live my life! It was my 'whoring' that got you the allies you have today! So don't you dare go all self righteous on me! Don't you dare! It's bullshit and you know it!" He hissed back.

"Oh, don't I dare? You enjoy every minute you take in those people's beds! You'd sell your firstborn if it meant the freedom to hop through anyone's bed you wanted! And now Severus?! Who HAVEN'T you slept with? Don't make me laugh! You sleep with anyone who will have you and then you turn around and patronize me."

Harry reeled, his rage burning still and yet diluting in the face of the sting of Tom's words. He shoved the Dark Lord against the wall, hard enough for his head to hit the wall. He could almost feel his stomach convulse against the things now housed there.

"Did it ever occur to you that I waited because I actually LIKED you?! Huh?! Did that ever come across that thick skull of yours?! Those other people mean nothing! That's why it never mattered! Did you ever think that just maybe I didn't want to jump into something with you only to be thrown away like all of the other lovers you've ever had?! NO! Because you were too busy thinking of what a WHORE I am! Well fuck you! My children will never see this hideousness and they most certainly will never see YOU!"

How dare he! Harry's fury made his insides tremble and as he made a quick exit from the room, he clutched his stomach tightly, trying to soothe his children through the rage and grief. He needed Severus and some space. His protectors raged on around him, making sure to slam the door behind them on their charge's way out.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Severus entered Voldemort's chambers quietly, watching as the man glared and wrestled with his anger. If anyone knew why Harry was suddenly crying in his rooms alone, it would be Voldemort. Especially, in his circumstance.

"My Lord, do you know anything about Harry? He seems very…upset. I tried to get him to tell me but he wouldn't." He approached the topic slowly and without judgment.

Wouldn't. More like couldn't tell him because he was crying too hard. Voldemort looked up at him angrily.

"I sent him away. I don't need a whore with unwanted baggage." Was the curt reply he received.

Severus's jaw nearly dropped in surprise. He had been sure that Voldemort would be thrilled. Unwanted baggage?! So that was what the man thought of Harry's little surprise. He'd never heard such casual cruelty. Perhaps the teen had gone to take care of it? Would he have his children aborted?! Or maybe he went to kill something. Hopefully it wasn't his children. The Dark Lord's response had been rather abrupt and caustic and they had probably gotten into a rip roaring fight over it. He could see why Harry would be angry. The teen had wanted to keep them and if Voldemort thought so little of the situation…

"Even in his condition? Surely, you can see why that would be most unwise. I told him such myself. And shouldn't I have a say in the matter as well?" He asked somewhat frigidly.

His lord looked at him reproachfully.

"Why would you have anything to do with Harry being in a snit? Really, the teenage Death Eaters have less drama than him! Besides, he doesn't need to be coddled, Severus. He's pissed, not comatose." The man growled, drinking deeply from his wine glass.

Severus sighed deeply. That explained it. Harry hadn't gotten the chance to tell him. That made his job easier if not somewhat more uncomfortable.

"My Lord, I apologize for the confusion. It wasn't anger I was referring to when I mentioned Harry's condition." He waited a moment until he was positive that he had the man's full undivided attention. "Harry's pregnant with twins. One of them is my child…and one is yours."

Voldemort immediately choked on his wine.

Review!


	12. Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live

Disclaimer: Nope! Just the plot.

Chapter Twelve

The Weasley Twin's flat lay in West Sussex in the town of East Grinstead. It was, ironically enough, near the border of Surrey. They had been begging him to come live with them for some time. He even kept a room there. They would be tickled pink for him to come visit at last. The two trouble makers would be overjoyed. It was from Severus's quarters that he took the network to his new home. Home. What a deceptive word. Tom's manor had been his home for three years. Now he would not stay there. He would fight once more if only for Severus but he had been forced from that home by the very man who had given him somewhere to go in the first place. It would be ironic if it wasn't so depressing. He hadn't realized until he had left just how much he had come to depend on Tom's manor as his place of solace. Now he didn't even have that. Harry stepped out of the grate only to immediately be caught up in two matching pairs of arms.

"Harry!"

"We thought you would never-"

"Come to stay for good!" Fred and George chorused, taking in every aspect of his appearance at once.

He gave them a very obviously forced half smile. The twins were the only ones he had kept in contact with after he had left.

"I have something to tell you guys. I need your help."

~o~

"Twins?"

"How crazy is that?"

Harry grinned, waving off the food that George was now trying to shove down his throat.

"Harry! You can't just go days without eating now! You're eating for three now so open up!"

"Fine fine! But only if I can punish you later."

"Oooo, promise?"

"You just want me to bend you over this table don't you."

"Oh yes. Yes I do."

~o~

Harry stepped through the grate in the main hall of the Dark Lord's manor with a grin on his face. The Twins had dragged him to every baby boutique they could think of, and even though he had been laughing the whole time, he had actually picked up a few things. He knew he was having at least one boy so he got some blue things and some unisex outfits. They were unsure about the second though. The little devil was hiding behind his twin and determined to be a surprise. He carried the bag of baby clothes, a smile on his face, just thinking of showing his little treasures to Severus when he ran smack into a hard body. Cursing, he felt himself caught up in a pair of arms that could easily break every bone in his body without a thought. His bag felt, spilling the contents across the floor for the man to see. A growl met his ears and he sighed, a cocky smirk finding its way onto his face.

"Mmmmm…Puppy. It has been too long." Fenrir growled, delivering a long slow lick to his face.

Harry purred until Fenrir paused and suddenly stopped. He looked at the amber eyes curiously. The Alpha was staring at the clothes with steady eyes.

"Puppy…is having a puppy?"

Harry nodded slowly and allowed himself to be pushed against a wall. Fenrir kneeled down and nuzzled his stomach before scenting it. He ran his hands through the course hair while the werewolf continued to scent him.

"Two puppies."

"Harry? What the hell are you doing?" Came an angry voice, jarring them both.

Voldemort strode over quickly and Harry moved quickly to cram the tiny clothes into his bag. Fenrir watched the scene with a small frown. He didn't seem the least bit angry at being interrupted. Voldemort glared at the Alpha and grabbed Harry's hand, pulling him down the hall. Harry was surprised. Voldemort seemed almost…protective. Neither of them saw the smirk on Greyback's face as they left, heading for the Dark Lord's rooms.

Harry let himself be gently guided to the bed and sat down. He watched Voldemort pace frantically in confusion. What was going on? Did…Did Voldemort know? He gripped the bag close to his chest. He wasn't going to give them up. He wouldn't. He may not be ready to be a parent but he didn't want to be that parent that didn't want their kids. He didn't want to be like the Dursleys…The Dark Lord stopped suddenly and looked at him, slight trepidation in his eyes.

"So…you're…" He seemed unable to say it so Harry finished for him.

"Pregnant." Harry answered, his voice soft.

"With Severus and…"

No doubt Voldemort didn't picture himself as the father figure either.

"And yours. And I wont get rid of them. I'm not really parent material but I want my kids. I want to keep them and I won't change my mind no matter what you say."

Voldemort's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

"No! Oh Merlin, Harry, no! I would never ask you to get rid of them! I would never just- Merlin. Harry, listen." Voldemort said, horrified and kneeled in front of the Puppet master, taking his hands, "I would never want you to get rid of your kids. I've never ever, really, pictured myself as a parent but I want you to know that I want to…be there and help you raise them. Even Severus. I was such a fucking jerk, Harry and I will never be able to apologize enough. I was…I didn't realize how much I needed you until you were gone. Not just for alliances but…I just need you. And when I saw that it was Severus you went to first, how you were so comfortable with him and how the two of you smiled at each other...I knew there was no chance for me against the kind of softness you have for each other. But I want to be there with you. Please let me raise these children with you." He begged his crimson eyes pleading.

Harry's lips trembled and pursed. He was completely still and silent for a long time. At last, he reached into the bag and pulled out a tiny green onesie, spreading it out for the Dark Lord to see. He reached out and touched the tiny piece of clothing with trembling hands, giving the teen a shaky smile.

"So, we're really doing this, huh? We're really going to be…parents. Together." Tom breathed heavily.

Harry smiled. Aww. He'd finally found something that set the mighty Dark Lord on edge.

" Our baby, Tom. Our babies, the three of us." He whispered and found himself on the floor beside the man he loved, looking at him.

The man leaned forward and brushed their lips together gently, chastely. Harry nearly sobbed at the softness of it all. He was scared but as long as he had Tom and Severus, he would make it.

"No matter what I've done, Tom, I never stopped…loving you. Never."

"I love you too, Harry. Will you please be with me? I know that I hurt you last time and I have punished myself for it ever since. Give me a second chance and I will be the husband you have always wanted. I know I can be a foul, cruel piece of scum and I can say things that I don't mean but please, forgive me. Just don't leave again. Don't leave me again."

He let Tom hold him and became the Dark Consort at long last.


End file.
